The Red Lands

On the road

"See that shallow bank there beside the road? It's perfect for setting up camp. The open field around it is also free from patches of brown. Remember how the wheels sank down when we passed places like that on the road? Just before and after winter, melting snow is your enemy as a wagon driver."

The teen pointed to the blanket of snow surrounded by sparsely scattered, little brown islands. Tossing his shoulder-length black hair behind, he clicked the wagon forward to his intended destination.

Beside him, on the driver's bench, sat a thin and tall, blonde girl with a fair, round face. The strands of swaying curvy hair outside of her single braid depicted her as a traveling village girl, if not for the loaded crossbow readied on her robed-covered lap.

"It's not dark yet. So, should we not try and make for over the hill in the distance? The wind is blowing awfully cold from behind us."

Shauna asked while brushing another strand of hair from her face. Her round, brown eyes waited innocently for the answer. A horse clopped up to the side of the driver, as its rider spoke from below a fur-lined hood.

"Winter may have ended, but the days are still short. You also don't want to push the horses too far. The horses pulling the wagon and the scout circling the traveling party would tire quickly."

"I understand what you mean, Rose. I'm searching the horizon, yet I can't spot a single wisp of smoke from a farmhouse. We have been on this road for three days and haven't seen any signs of travelers. I can't recall this road being this desolate when we journeyed to Karst before. My heart feels as if a hand keeps squeezing it whenever we round a bend or clip over a hill."

Shauna sighed while unaware she had touched on a nerve of her narrow-minded driver.

Ming twisted his forehead into a knot as he cut their conversation short in a peeved voice.

"Hey, Rose, why do you have to jump in when I'm sharing quality information? I'm the leader here, remember? How about you check for tracks around our campsite over there?"

Shauna smiled while leaning back to sweep her eyes over the surroundings. Rose cast a snort as she urged her horse to gallop ahead of them. Not before casting a smile and a wink to the blonde-haired girl.

By the time Ming and Shauna unhitched the wagon, Rose and Finn returned. Leaving Shauna to attend to the horses, the sable-haired teen walked towards them.

"The road up ahead hasn't seen any use in days. Whatever tracks left behind by the supply caravan and the Military have broken down into slush or covered by the last snow."

The lanky man reported while rubbing his three-day, straw-colored, stubbled chin.

"Alright, hand the horses over to Shauna. You guys know the drill."

Ming replied while walking towards the rear of the hide-covered wagon. Clanging open the iron door, he shouted to the darkness inside.

"Knut, wake up those lazy bones and start me a fire. How long are you going to cry like a little girl? You're a big man, cry like one."

A grumble answered from the cavernous interior as a short, strapping young man exited. Burring off the cold, he began tossing large cuts of firewood from the iron basket hanging on the side of the wagon. Like sticks, they gathered into his meaty arm. Knut blinked while grumbling in his low tone.

"I told you back then, it was from the snow and dirt your horse kicked up when you rode passed the wagon. Yesterday, it was from a wood chip that flew into my eye, even though I told you to stop cutting the branch. Thank the heavens, Shauna removed it with her tweezers before it did any permanent damage."

Removing the large ax hinged on the wagon, Knut walked to the leeward side as if carrying straw. Preparing the fire, he continued,

"I really don't know how the Boss puts up with you. Even your horse is the same. I kept begging it to stop while out scouting yesterday. I tried tugging the reins, but it just wouldn't listen. All to sniff out and eat a bunch of Jalethorne flowers."

"You too? That also happened to me today. I should have unhitched my horse from the wagon instead."

Finn said. They have been rotating their tasks since leaving the farm and have settled down comfortably. This leader operated in a laid-back but efficient manner.

"Wow, you guys aren't content with bad-mouthing your leader, you're even switching to his horse? That's a low blow. I expected it from Knut after the woodcutting incident, but not from you, Finn."

Ming exhaled an air of white breath while shaking his head in disappointment. Rose cut across him before he churned out another sad story. This idiot was efficient but easily strayed.

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"Don't play the pity card here. It's your own fault for trying to wield Knut's ax. Did you think something that big would be light? Hurry and help us groom the horses so I can take first watch."

***

Three days after Ming left the farm for Karst, a wagon rolled into the village. The driver hopped out and tossed his yellow, curly locks behind his grayish cloak. Trotting around, he unlatched the rear tray of the open wagon, which creaked down on the iron hinges. Removing the wooden steps, he steadied it on the snow.

A small black-cloaked figure rose from one of the long, fur-lined benches running down the side and slowly disembarked. As soon as she cleared the wagon, Rind tossed the treaders into the wagon and led the horse to rest at the south building of the Trading Post. Dropping five coppers into the hands of the stable boy, he paced across to the south gate. By the time it groaned open, the cloaked female strolled through without pausing.

"Oh! It's been a long time since she visited the village. Do you want to bring the wagon to the Trading Post inside?"

The gatekeeper on shift queried. This graying old man had been around since this young girl began enlisting Doug and Singh out on her supply runs.

"No, no need, Old Hark. She's not here this evening to sell or make a purchase."

Rind replied while making a quick greeting before running off. The wrinkled man watched him scamper to follow the young miss. Scratching his beard, he mussed.

"Not a purchase? Unless she is dragging along a carcass, or buying bundles of herbs, this young miss doesn't step foot in here..."

When they arrived at the village center near the well, Rind took the lead. They soon paused at a wide, ground-level house with an open shed and a crooked shingled roof. The young man stepped forward and knocked on the stout wooden front door.

A shuffle and clatter sounded from within as the door edged open. A curious eye peered out from the tiny crack.

"Yes?"

"Greetings, Lady Winn. You might probably not remember me, but I'm here from the farm to escort you and your family. I believe one of my little brothers dropped off an invitation a few days ago."

The wrinkly eye blinked a little wider.

The door opened as the woman ushered them inside. Rind stepped to the side to allow the young girl to enter before following. On closing the door, the woman heaved a sigh of relief. She faced her visitors while wringing her hands.

"Thank the heavens you're here. If it wasn't for the treasure scroll, I would have doubted its words. We were waiting for your arrival, but then trouble happened."

"What happened, Aunty. Maybe I can help you."

Rind consoled. His brother, by bond, had entrusted him to escort his future would be sister-in-law and her family to the farm. If he failed at this, he might as well go live as a hermit. The answer came from the kitchen door.

"On the day before your invitation, my father received an offer from a new guard in the village. The man belongs to a noble family in Karst and took a liking to me when he spotted me at the well. He had offered my father money for me to become his mistress."

A young lady stood in the roughly hewn wooden doorway,

"After receiving the invitation from the farm, my father went to explain that I was already taken. The man would hear none of this, however, and insisted that I at least spend a week with him. Father left early this morning to speak to Commander Joss, and since then, have not returned."

The young maiden explained while wiping her face with a pair of damp hands. She covered her round, flushed face to stifle another round of sobbing. Her mother swished across the room to embrace the girl.

Rind scratched his face on soaking in the news. He knew Commander Joss as well as anyone on the farm, but not enough to throw his weight around. Maybe he would have gotten away with a drunken tavern brawl, but these waters seem a little too deep. Thank the heavens, Root and he belonged to an elite club within the farm.

"Is that all?"

"Ah!"

The old lady stepped back as the cloaked figure questioned. Standing in the shadows, this entity had been carelessly forgotten. A pair of jaded hands removed the hood, allowing the shoulder-length red tresses to run wild. The green eyes locked onto the old woman as the pink lips asked again.

"Is that all?"

The words repeated as if falling off the mouth of an Emperor.

"Y-yes."

Dyna walked out of the shadows as the woman and her daughter parted. Both of them recognized this particular individual. In fact, besides the Demon-beast Slayer, this green-eyed girl was probably the most well-known figure after the horrifying winter. Her closest rival in fame was maybe that older, easygoing brother of hers, who groomed that unsightly stubble beard.

The redhead circled the younger occupant of the house before nodding in approval.

"Good... Root really has a keen eye. She looks like Sue, not too chubby. This one gives our approval. Miss, you do know that if you marry Root, you will live a poor life as a woodcutter, right? Once he marries, he will have to leave the farm. Are you ok with that? We will also be taking back the invitation. I know you didn't expect us to part with something so expensive, right?"

Her green eyes settled on the face and eyes of the older girl now standing in front of her. With four years of training, three sneaky and cunning individuals, she could recognize a lie when she saw one. As for humans, Doug might testify that she could read minds. Various cogs spun cycles within the farm.

Dyna knew when her wolves conducted covert operations near the kitchen. Sue knew when she lied, and Sakura sentenced them all to hard labor whenever she tallied her storehouse inventory.

The maiden wiped her cheeks and brushed the few strands of wet, straw-colored hair behind her ears. She raised her head in confidence as her single, braided hair reached halfway down her back.

"I don't care if he is poor. Root treated me very well at the farm during our time of hardship and never asked me to warm his bed. The little time I spent with him made me smile. Together we can work hard and build our family, just like my parents. We can even run away so this old noble can't find us. I refused to marry this old man then, and I still do now. But I don't want to give my father and mother any trouble."

The maiden replied as her glazed blue eyes confirmed her thoughts. Dyna raised the edges of her lips while waving her hand.

"See, Rind, it's just like Big Sis Amanda said. If a woman is willing to suffer alongside you, then you have found a true wife. Mrs. Thomas, Ms May, Shine, and all the others are proof of it."

Turning to the door, she made a beeline for it. Rind rushed up and opened it, even though he wore a face of confusion.

"Come on, hurry and get dressed. If I am late, Stavia swore she will cut my hunting rations in half. Rind, run down, and tell Commander Joss to have the girl's father meet us down at the south gate. Oh, and also pass a message to the old fowl setting his greedy eyes on my subordinate's wife..."